Microsoft files complaint over Halo 4 beta site

Two weeks ago, a Microsoft employee warned gamers to steer clear of any websites offering Halo 4 beta codes. That site was Halo4beta.net, and now Microsoft has unleashed its legal hounds, seeking to claim the website. If there is ever to be a Halo 4 beta site, Microsoft will own it.

As spotted by domain and trademark sleuthing site Fusible, Microsoft filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum on January 27 over Halo4beta.net, which is no longer operational. The specifics of the complaint are not available, but the grievance was filed under the forum's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.

The outline of this policy states Microsoft must show how the domain name (Halo4beta.net) is either identical or "confusingly similar" to a trademark or service that Microsoft has rights to, why the domain holder has "no rights or legitimate interests" in the name, and why the domain name is to be considered as "having been registered and used in bad faith."

An arbitration panel consisting of either one person or three will deliberate and reach a decision, which will be posted at a later date.

Halo 4 is due for release during holiday 2012. It is a direct sequel to 2007's well-received Halo 3 and will star series champion Master Chief. It is also the first title in a new series dubbed the Reclaimer Trilogy, effectively Halo 4, 5, and 6.

@grey_fox1984
Either way, I really don't think a Halo 4 is neccessary. It's just my opinion. A trilogy is more apt than having a whole series. Once again - it's my feelings... if you feel different about it, it's cool.

Nevertheless I'd like to see a beta. I know they are usually marketing ploys but it's nice when developers use them to fix bugs, networking issues and balancing.
It sucks that we probably won't see one for Halo 4 just because of the amount of secrecy surrounding the project.

The way I see Halo went downhill after the 2nd installment.
I honestly believe 343 will have a good crack at it, especially since it's Microsoft's flagship game for the Xbox.
If it sucked however that would be hilarious :P

It's funny- "343". Like the has a lot of people that helped make Halo 3, and some new people to help make 4. I don't think that's why they're 343 Industries. But an interesting observation nonetheless, I think.

@spudster007 "Whoa, whoa, whoa... I thought they were done with Halo?..." your kidding right. is this the first time you have looked at the internet in the last 6 months. Halo 4 is by many publications accounts the single most anticipated game of next year. I have my scetpisisms, but will pre-order it anyway. It cant be worse than Duke Forever!!!!

@redskinStu
No they can't, they can't do ilegal stuff, the site was a scam , most likely to take away credit card numbers. Why would anybody want to create a site about the beta test? It wasn't a fansite to talk about the game, just to steal from people.

Everyone who had anything to do with the website was thrown into a pit of fire after being strangled with wires from old MS-DOS computers as Bill Gates's maniacal laugh floods the abyss of fire where behind him stands not only 343 Industries, but also Bungie executives. In the background, you can see Marty O Donnel using his whip of fire to injur some of the heretics who dared to defy them by trying to trick people into thinking their website was going to give people a beta for Halo 4.

@TxtBin
Because Halo's universe goes well beyond the war between the humans and covenant. Read some of the books and you'll see that they are gearing up for an arc that will dwarf the original three games in scope. Plus, 343 is a studio that was made SPECIFICALLY for Halo- not just some other team taking the reigns. A lot of the people who worked at Bungie on the Halo games just moved over to 343 when the rest of Bungie broke off. Besides, all you can really judge 343 on at this point is the awesome Reach maps they've made, the amazing remake of Halo 1 and some seriously solid fiction that 343 has commissioned and published with Tor over the past few years.

Just why...?
Why didn't they just end it with Halo 3... stop milking the franchise ffs... Halo Reach? Fair enough... but it should've ended there. Bungie started it so it's just not the same to have new developers take over. Just my opinion.

Oh and if their is going to be a beta wouldn't it be incorporated with Reach or even the Halo: Combat Evolved AE in some ways or even the next Crachdown game or what ever exclusive that Microsoft might have coming out this year that isn't on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace.

@jdog8888888 Fun fact, the 360 came out in 2005 and Halo 3 came out in 2007. Best simultaneous launch in history! Though if their new system will be out in time I agree it will have a good chance of being on it.